CUT-TO: 8 YEARS LATER
This month marks my 8th year in advertising, in Harrison Communications.
I’m here right now because of Taps. Yup, he’s to blame. Brandie also had something to do with all of this.
I think the ball got rolling during one of those nights at my dad’s wake eight years ago. Taps was telling the guys about this new commercial he was working on. It started a couple of upcoming talents named Diether Ocampo, Ryan Agoncillio, and Patricia Javier. Yup, it was the Sprite “Magpaka-totoo Ka” campaign. Even though Taps was just telling us the stories of those TV commercials, we were already laughing and couldn’t wait to see it on-air. (Somewhat appropriate that we were talking about TV commercials at my dad’s wake.)
I don’t know if it was on that same night or some other night we all got together when I mentioned to the group that I now had to find a more regular job; that my freelance writing gigs and minimal comic book sales were just not enough. Taps mentioned that McCann was looking for a writer and I could try out. Based on Taps’ story about the Sprite campaign, his job actually sounded like fun.
CUE: CANNED LAUGHTER
Around a month later, Brandie dragged me out of bed and we distributed our resumes to a couple of agencies in Makati. I ended up getting called in for a couple of interviews that June.
July 8, 1999, was my first official day at Harrison. They were in the process of moving to a new office, so the cubicles at Dolmar looked more like a warehouse than a place of work. The highlight of that first day was leafing through a two-inch thick file that contained all the Globe ads that they had done. Around 5pm, Dadi Santos, my Creative Director, told me to go home; that there was nothing else for me to do.
So, I came back the next day and actually got the office before 9:30am. I thought my second day was going to be a repeat of my first, when a Job Order came in at the last minute and it had to be presented the next day.
And the work hasn’t stopped ever since.
I don’t think I would’ve lasted this long if it wasn’t for the officemates that I’ve come to consider as mentors, friends, confidants, fellow soldiers brought back to another tour of duty, and participants in the same support group that happen to meet at the bar down the street.
Staying in one place for eight years results to having to say goodbye to a lot of those of the people. At least, thanks to a whole lot of texting, IMing, and blogging, it’s so easy to say “hello, how you doin’?” every now and again.
As one leaves, new people come in and a new cast is assembled. The show must go on.
I am now one of the Deputy Executive Creative Directors of Harrison Communications; but there are still days when I feel like a beginner. There will always be that project, that client, that brief that will challenge you and humble you and make you realize that you still need to learn more.
So, before we get into Season 8 of my so-called career, we gotta do this:
VO: Previously in Heroes (ahem) Harrison…
Team Harrison 1999
Globe Team 2000
Globe Team 2004
Grace's surprise birthday party
Dadi's Despedida
The Harrison Launch Party
Parties at the Red Room
The Season of Pitches
Belai's Despedida
My Team aka BAHAY NI BUDJETTE
Team Harrison 2006
We still get together when the occassion calls for it.
SPECIAL GUEST STARS THROUGH THE YEARS:
This month marks my 8th year in advertising, in Harrison Communications.
I’m here right now because of Taps. Yup, he’s to blame. Brandie also had something to do with all of this.
I think the ball got rolling during one of those nights at my dad’s wake eight years ago. Taps was telling the guys about this new commercial he was working on. It started a couple of upcoming talents named Diether Ocampo, Ryan Agoncillio, and Patricia Javier. Yup, it was the Sprite “Magpaka-totoo Ka” campaign. Even though Taps was just telling us the stories of those TV commercials, we were already laughing and couldn’t wait to see it on-air. (Somewhat appropriate that we were talking about TV commercials at my dad’s wake.)
I don’t know if it was on that same night or some other night we all got together when I mentioned to the group that I now had to find a more regular job; that my freelance writing gigs and minimal comic book sales were just not enough. Taps mentioned that McCann was looking for a writer and I could try out. Based on Taps’ story about the Sprite campaign, his job actually sounded like fun.
CUE: CANNED LAUGHTER
Around a month later, Brandie dragged me out of bed and we distributed our resumes to a couple of agencies in Makati. I ended up getting called in for a couple of interviews that June.
July 8, 1999, was my first official day at Harrison. They were in the process of moving to a new office, so the cubicles at Dolmar looked more like a warehouse than a place of work. The highlight of that first day was leafing through a two-inch thick file that contained all the Globe ads that they had done. Around 5pm, Dadi Santos, my Creative Director, told me to go home; that there was nothing else for me to do.
So, I came back the next day and actually got the office before 9:30am. I thought my second day was going to be a repeat of my first, when a Job Order came in at the last minute and it had to be presented the next day.
And the work hasn’t stopped ever since.
I don’t think I would’ve lasted this long if it wasn’t for the officemates that I’ve come to consider as mentors, friends, confidants, fellow soldiers brought back to another tour of duty, and participants in the same support group that happen to meet at the bar down the street.
Staying in one place for eight years results to having to say goodbye to a lot of those of the people. At least, thanks to a whole lot of texting, IMing, and blogging, it’s so easy to say “hello, how you doin’?” every now and again.
As one leaves, new people come in and a new cast is assembled. The show must go on.
I am now one of the Deputy Executive Creative Directors of Harrison Communications; but there are still days when I feel like a beginner. There will always be that project, that client, that brief that will challenge you and humble you and make you realize that you still need to learn more.
So, before we get into Season 8 of my so-called career, we gotta do this:
VO: Previously in Heroes (ahem) Harrison…
Team Harrison 1999
Globe Team 2000
Globe Team 2004
Grace's surprise birthday party
Dadi's Despedida
The Harrison Launch Party
Parties at the Red Room
The Season of Pitches
Belai's Despedida
My Team aka BAHAY NI BUDJETTE
Team Harrison 2006
We still get together when the occassion calls for it.
SPECIAL GUEST STARS THROUGH THE YEARS:
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